The Good, The Bad and The Powerful

Earlier this week I wrote about capturing the power of wind with our AirX wind generator. It's good to be able to use wind create extra electrical power at our float cabin. But the wind doesn't always bring good. Sometimes it's bad.

We get gale force (and a few times hurricane force) winds as storms move in and out. We've learned the hard way to keep our deck clear to prevent precious items from diving overboard to a watery grave. Even so, we lost an empty propane tank (fortunately our friend John found it floating in the Hole), a large heavy sawhorse, numerous plastic barrels and buckets, and the top to our BBQ.

Recently, I woke to the sound of wind roaring in like a train from the north. When it hit, a picnic tabletop Wayne salvaged tore loose and became a giant Frisbee. The loss would have been bad enough, but during it's brief flight it took out both antenna on our boat moored nearby. Not a good thing for sure. Whether good or bad, the wind sure is powerful. - Margy

AirX Wind Generator

Our float cabin in Hole in the Wall is off the grid. We use solar, but from October through March the amount of sunlight available for power generation is limited because our cabin is in a water filled valley. On the shortest day, "sunrise" over Goat Island is at 10:00 and "sunset" behind the trees on the other side of Hole is at 1:00. So, as you can see, even on a sunny day we can't store up much electricity in our batteries.

One day while walking through Canadian Tire we spotted an AirX wind generator. We thought it was worth a try. The AirX is a 400 watt wind generator manufactured by Southwest Windpower. The blades start turning at 8 mph, but power generation doesn't start until about 10 mph. To reach the 400 watt capacity, there needs to be a steady breeze of 28 mph. Two special features include a charge controller that stops power generation when the batteries reach full charge, and overspeed protection to prevent damage during high wind conditions.

We only get winds in the Hole during storms, but now that we use the wind for power generation you won't hear us complain too much. Now you'll hear us chant, "We're making power, we're making power!" We'll, at least until something is swept off the deck. Here's our AirX in action during a recent storm.



Do you generate your own power? I would be interested to hear about your experiences. - Margy

Winter 2009 British Columbia Snowpack

This week we had a cold snap with a light dusting of snow.

It stuck on the ground long enough for a few good shots against the clearing sky.

A March 11 bulletin from the British Columbia Ministry of Environment states that the snowpack for the South Coast is well below normal (63%). Peak snow accumulation will be over by mid-April, so there isn't much time left.

That doesn't bode well for river and lake levels this summer. Right now, Powell Lake is almost at it's lowest level since our arrival in 2001, and it's only March.

Low water input combined with high water extraction for electrical generation is going to make it difficult for many float cabin owners. Our cabin is in 80' of water, but others have much less depth to work with. Unfortunately, beached floats can be easily damaged. -- Margy

Power Pack Backpack by Outdoor Products

Wayne and I do quite a bit of traveling, and every where we go (for better or worse), our computers go. We carry all kinds of stuff, so backpacks with lots pockets help us stay organized. When we were in Eugene, we walked to REI. While browsing the aisles, I found the world's best backpack! It's the Power Pack by Outdoor Products.

What first caught my eye was the pockets. Next came the quality construction, and the added bonus was the laptop compartment. The Power Pack comes in two colours. I chose the black, and Wayne took the brick and black combo. There's a small zipper pouch on the lower front, a padded zipper pouch for glasses near the top, two side zipper pockets covered with mesh pouches and a large "quick stash" pouch with clips and a velcro closure.

Unzip the first compartment and there are numerous slots and zipper pouches to stow your digital gear and other small items. Right now a lot of my things are in ziploc baggies hiding in the bottom of my current pack's main pouch. Trying to find them is a challenge. I'm really looking forward to having all of these organizational tools.

Unzip the next compartment and there's a section they call the media organizer. The media folders at the bottom keep books, papers and magazine in order. The folders can be compressed to make this center section into a main compartment to carry things like a change of clothes for overnight trips. Often, Wayne and I will only take a backpack so that we can easily walk to our destination.

Unzip the last compartment and there's a padded section for a laptop computer. It can handle both large and small laptops because of a removable padded cradle. Because of the placement at the back of the pack, the computer is easy to remove for those trips through airport security.

But that's not all. Tucked up against your back are two security pockets. The top one includes a retractable identification holder for tickets, passports, etc. The bottom one is a zippered storage pocket for other valuables. The comfortable padded straps include a mesh cell phone pouch (actually too small for my old style phone) and several accessory loops.

Next week I'll get to give my new backpack a full test when I use the Quick Shuttle and Pacific Coastal Airlines to head back to Powell River. It probably won't be any lighter, but at least I'll be able to find my things a whole lot easier. - Margy

"One Man's Wilderness" by Dick Proenneke

Living in a float cabin on Powell Lake BC makes me interested in reading and watching films about other people's wilderness experiences. Tonight I saw Alone in the Wilderness for the first time. I just happened to find in on PBS while clicking through the channels. It's about Dick Proenneke who built his own wilderness cabin in the Alaskan bush country back in the 60's. He lived there alone until he was in his 80's. The film is old, but the story is timeless. If you can't find it on TV it is available on DVD or VHS.

Dick Proenneke's life was also chronicled in the book One Man's Wilderness, An Alaskan Odyssey by Sam Keith and Richard Proenneke (1973).

Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 in 1968. His dream was to live alone in the remote Alaska wilderness. He brought his dream to life by building his own cabin using mostly natural resources found in the bush and skills he had learned to get the job done. Along the way, he kept a journal and took many still and video pictures. It took eighteen months to complete his log cabin, but by the first winter it was ready for occupancy. The book chronicles the cabin's construction. It also includes lots of observations about the land, plants and animals of the region. In 1973, Dick's journals and pictures were compiled into a book by his friend Sam Keith.

I enjoyed both the book and film. It amazed me to learn what one man could do with just hand tools, trees and rocks from the region, and a few construction items like tar paper and cement. I even got a hint about how to bake better biscuits on my wood burning stove. If you have ever dreamed about living in the wilderness, you will enjoy this book. You can find more information about Dick Proenneke and his Alaskan wilderness experiences at www.dickproenneke.com. -- Margy

Coastal BC Birds: Canada Goose

Canada Goose

On Monday, I saw the first pair of Canada Geese returning to Powell Lake. It wasn't at my home in Hole in the Wall, but down at the Shinglemill marina. Maybe they will soon return to their regular nesting place in the back of the Hole. It's a sure sign Spring isn't too far away.

The Canada Goose is a very vocal bird. I could hear the pair coming from a long way away. The geese range from the arctic tundra of the Canadian north all the way south to the Gulf Coast. The long black neck with a brilliant white chinstrap makes them easy to identify. Geese mate for life, the pairs returning year after year to their preferred breeding grounds. Nests are made of dry grasses lined with down in a raised area near the water's edge. A clutch of 2-8 eggs takes about a month to incubate, then the babies grow for 6-7 weeks before they can fly. Soon there will lots of bird action to watch in the Hole. I can't wait.

Want to know more? See ...

Love Canada Geese
All About Birds
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Hinterland Who's Who

Thanks for visiting. -- Margy

Woodstove Cooking: Firebox Baked Potatoes

I just had a wonderful, quiet week at my float cabin on Powell Lake in Coastal BC. It may sound like an expensive thing to do, but actually, it's a very economical way to live. Because the cabin is off-the-grid, there are few ongoing costs. But we have a few enhancements to make our life more comfortable. One of those is our wood stove.

Our stove kept me comfortably warm each day. The light from it's perpetual flame brightened the dark nights. An added benefit was cooking one of my favourite comfort foods - baked potatoes. It's simple, but oh, so satisfying.

All of my home grown potatoes are gone, so I bought a few Russets. Wash, dry and rub the skin with a little margarine. That's all except for double wrapping it in aluminum foil, carefully sealing the edges so that none of the margarine leaks out onto the stove.
I placed the foil wrapped potato on the shelf at the front of the fire box. Turn it once and in half an hour it's ready to eat.

I love my baked potato loaded. I planned ahead and had the toppings ready to go. Yum - just the right thing to warm up my tummy on a cold winter night in front of the fire.

Want to check out some of the other things I've cooked on or in my wood stove? Take a look at these:

Pouch Potatoes
Wood Stove Sourdough Wheat Bread
Baking Powder Biscuits
Dutch Oven Rustic Apple Pie
Dutch Oven Apple Crisp
Easy Chili
Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Cabin Carrot Cake
Cornbread

Do you do any wood stove or stovetop baking? I'd love to hear your recipes. - Margy